


Stress

by katopiyo



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Established Relationship, Living Together, M/M, Post-EW, sap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24899647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katopiyo/pseuds/katopiyo
Summary: Quatre is a workaholic. Duo is tired of thinking. They share an apartment.
Relationships: Duo Maxwell/Quatre Raberba Winner
Kudos: 3





	Stress

**Author's Note:**

> Re-upload from elsewhere in honor of this month's Evens Day (24 June). This was the sixth piece I wrote for these two. I've finished its prequel, but I don't know if I'll upload it. Set in the same AU as "Notes."

From the couch, Duo's eyes follow Quatre as he frantically paces around the living room, rapidly tapping his tablet and declining calls on his phone as he tries to sort through a myriad of digital documents among other materials. Classical music plays at a moderate volume in the background, gorgeous melodies spreading throughout the apartment as Quatre's chosen method of attempting to calm himself. But Duo can see that it's not working at all.

After the war, Duo, Quatre, and the other pilots had attended university on Relena and others' insistence and mostly on the Winner Corporation's dime, and though they'd all finished by now - Quatre at an accelerated pace - Duo and Wufei were working on their studies at a higher level.

Every night, Duo and Wufei would talk on video to discuss their research for a bit, then Duo would continue to study until late into the night - sometimes even early into the morning. Duo barely remembered what had happened, but one morning, he woke up to Quatre shaking him, nearly in tears because he'd jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Apparently, Duo'd passed out over the dining table and all of his notes in an ugly way that made Quatre think he'd suddenly had some sort of a heart attack and had effectively worked himself to death.

That night, Quatre told Duo to follow his own advice: "If you don't make time to relax, I'll make you relax," he'd threatened him. Though, Duo failed to see how that was much of a threat at all.

But, he did start dedicating time to doing absolutely nothing. On a normal rest day, Duo would be sitting on the couch, head empty. But Quatre was working from home today, and he was disrupting Duo's mindlessness session with the thump of his footsteps against the living room carpet and the taps of his fingers on screens and the customer service voice he maintained until calls ended; he'd let out a series of labored groans and sighs, and occasionally, he'd share his complaints or put a call on speaker just to show Duo what he had to put up with every day at the office.

Duo liked watching Quatre work. He liked watching Quatre do anything. He thought Quatre was handsome when he got serious, and he thought he was cute when he got mad or annoyed at his affiliates. He thought the gossip that Quatre shared was funny, too, but today, he'd had enough of his hypocrisy.

"Quat," Duo calls from the couch, patting the space next to him. "Come sit."

"Not right now, Duo," Quatre sighs, hurriedly typing up a response to a client. "I'm too busy."

"What happened to 'relax or I'll make you relax'?" Duo frowns.

"That was about you, not me," Quatre huffs as Duo launches himself up from the couch. Quatre yelps when Duo grabs his arm and pulls him down to sit, and he lands on Duo's lap, tablet still in hand.

"Duo," Quatre grumbles, voice rough and irate as Duo wraps his arms around his torso. "I don't have time for any antics right now."

"If I have to follow my own advice, you have to follow yours, too," Duo presses his face into the crook of Quatre's neck. Quatre squirms at the ticklish sensation. "That's enough, I-"

"Mm-mm," Duo hums. "You're too stressed out to handle everything right now. Have your staff do some stuff."

Quatre tries to wriggle out of Duo's arms, but there's no escape. Duo still had much of his strength from their days as pilots; Quatre isn't sure what he expected. He sighs, turning his tablet back on to return to his work and doing his best to ignore the warmth pressing on his neck and back.

"What time is it?" Duo asks, peering over Quatre's shoulder. "Eight-thirty," he replies plainly.

"Did you eat?"  
"Yes, while you were asleep after you ate all that junk food for 'dinner' and crashed."  
"...Fair."

The classical record plays all the way through, the floating melody of the orchestra slowly fades out, and the apartment falls quiet. Duo nuzzles into Quatre's shoulder again and they sit in comfortable silence as Quatre reviews some reports.

"Every day I get so many emails..." Quatre sighs. He can feel Duo laugh behind him, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. "Yeah, Quat, that's part of the job," Duo smirks.

"Shut uuuuup," Quatre groans, intentionally leaning his weight back on Duo, who still has him wrapped in his arms, "At least your research with Wufei is fun. All I get to do is bicker with old men all day."

"But you get to do cool space stuff, too," Duo protests half-heartedly. Quatre frowns. "I don't actually get to do the cool stuff because I'm stuck managing everyone and fighting my way through four-hour board meetings."

"Seriously, though. Why don't you let somebody else handle some of the management stuff?" Duo suggests, raising a hand to run his fingers through Quatre's hair. Quatre tilts his head towards Duo. "Do you really think there's anyone in the company who can competently manage everything? It's not like my sisters can help either - they're all busy managing their own sectors."

"I don't think," Duo yawns, "Not today, at least."

Quatre locks his tablet and Duo drags him down so they're lying side by side on the couch, Duo's arms still wrapped around Quatre from behind.

"You're done now?" Duo asks the obvious.

"Done enough," Quatre sighs. "I'll do the rest tomorrow." Languidly, he shifts and turns to face Duo, who greets him with a sleepy smile. "Do you feel any better?"

"From you turning me into your hugging pillow?" Quatre teases, and Duo rolls his eyes. "Yes, Duo, I feel better now," Quatre relents.

"Good," Duo says, pulling Quatre in for a hug.

"I love you," Quatre softly presses his lips against his. Duo grins. "I love you too."


End file.
